The one month building and shipping wait may turn many off from an Alienware system, but take note that we received our system within two weeks... The reason for the wait is that the boys and girls at Alienware completely customize your rig. They make all driver updates at time of shipping, install games that you may also want to purchase, and do thorough benchmarking of each individual system. They also optimize Windows settings, and print out a very handy system manual with information that registers in the most absent of minds. Included in the manual is a personalized design printout, setup and tweaking information, safety precautions, and troubleshooting information. Everything you need to know while setting up your system. Not that any readers of Tweak3D would have any trouble, because we are of course... uhh - hardcore and stuff. A little documentation never hurts nobody. Just a note that if you are in a rush to get your system, then Alienware certainly will not be the quickest way, but the wait is for good reason.

Setup and Installation

Aside from an iMac, the Aurora may just be the quickest and easiest computer to setup. If the guts of the system remain intact from shipping, then all you really have to do is connect a few cables and add some electricity! Simple enough, for the slower among us, there is included a wide range of setup documentation as mentioned above. It even helps you to choose a solid location to place your new big toy. All said and done, I was Quakin' in 30 minutes flat!

The most notorious argument against buying a pre-built system is price. As you can see, about $200 is the largest amount saved. Which is not surprising, because building your own PC is most always the cheapest method, but no necessarily the most practical. The internet is the cheapest place to buy computer components. But after taking into consideration shipping costs and setup hardships, you'll probably want to go with a manufactured computer- respectively, an Alienware system. Now, let me start to tell you why this system really kicks!